The Archdiocese of Denver has issued a statement revealing that Father Chad Ripperger has agreed to fast from public speaking for one year in order to focus more attention on his community.According to a statement from the Archdiocese, Archbishop James Golka recently met with the famed exorcist to discuss his ministry and his community known as the Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother.
“During that conversation, the archbishop asked Fr. Ripperger to consider a one-year fast from public speaking and interviews," the statement read. "The time will allow him to devote himself to the Society and to the people it serves. Fr. Ripperger readily agreed. At the end of the year, they will review the arrangement together.”
The archbishop went on to express his gratitude for Fr. Ripperger’s priestly service, his exorcism ministry, and for the generous spirit in which he received this request for a pause from his extensive public speaking engagements.
The fast follows on the heels of another exorcist, Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, who was dismissed earlier this summer from his post as exorcist for the Archdiocese of Washington, DC. Although the decision closely followed comments by Msgr. Rossetti linking aliens to demons, the Archdiocese’s Cardinal Robert W. McElroy told the Catholic News Service that it wasn’t so much about the comments as it was about the proper role of an exorcist within the Church.
"It wasn't touching on the question of UFOs," the cardinal said in an interview June 29 at the Pontifical North American College. "My major objection is that I think the traditional role of an exorcist is a very private one. It's a sacred one."
He’s not alone in his warnings about the rising popularity of exorcists and their ever-broadening reach on social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and a variety of podcasts. Even though we are living in an era of unprecedented saturation of occult-based entertainment, the same media has a bad habit of sensationalizing exorcists - and the spiritual warfare they teach - rather than presenting both with the respect and reverence they deserve. This can lead to serious pastoral problems.
In an interview with the National Catholic Register, Adam Blai, a tribunal judge and psychology adviser for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, warned that sensationalistic exorcists with big public platforms can lead people to misunderstand the spiritual life in harmful ways.
“In some interviews the demonic are linked with physical ailments, psychological problems or family problems. This can lead to anxiety and a spiritual life centered on the demonic and defending against it. This is not healthy.”
He added that many of the videos on the subject of exorcism or spiritual warfare can be dangerous because most viewers lack the theological formation to properly understand the subject and can easily lose sight of the mercy and power of God.
Father Glenn Sudano, the former exorcist of the Archdiocese of Newark and a co-founder of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, agrees, and believes that when exorcists appear on secular podcasts, interviewers try to provoke answers that are likely to go viral. These kinds of approaches can “feed an adolescent interest in these things” and “can distract people from the real call to holiness.”
These warnings are serious, especially when you consider the enormous following of some of today’s most prominent exorcists. The late Father Gabriele Amorth wrote dozens of books based on his thirty years of service as exorcist for the Diocese of Rome. Father Chad Ripperger’s YouTube account has 391,000 subscribers. Father Carlos Martins, whose famed podcast known as The Exorcist Files has tens of thousands of followers on Spotify and almost 60,000 on YouTube. Father Dan Reehill, an exorcist serving in the diocese of Nashville, Tennessee, has 260,000 followers on Instagram.
These priests are reaching far more people with this vital information than just those in their respective diocese. Decisions to restrict their reach can have a costly downside that should not be ignored.
As Father Sudano warned, “When we make [exorcisms and the demonic] super-secret, it only adds to the mystique of this thing.”
Father Francesco Bamonte, vice president of the International Association of Exorcists, a Vatican-recognized group, agrees.
“The ministry of exorcism is part of the Church’s public life, at the service of those who suffer,” he told the Register. “As such, it is right and proper that it be presented to the people of God, but certainly in accordance with criteria that do not seek visibility for its own sake but rather educate and form through accurate information.”
Perhaps a healthier compromise might be a system suggested by a former exorcist from a Midwestern diocese who does not wish to be identified. In his case, he evaluated each media invitation ahead of time to be sure the Church’s teaching would be fairly and respectfully presented. Because the ministry of exorcism falls under the auspices of the local bishop, he would then request permission from his bishiop before accepting a request.
Safeguards such as these could go a long way in preventing the Church from missing important opportunities to correct Hollywood-style depictions of exorcism, or at least letting people know they can turn to the Church for help in the case of a genuine encounter with evil entities.
“Otherwise, people don’t know who to turn to,” Father Sudano said, and may instead “turn to the so-called professional exorcist or the psychic who says that they can make all your problems go away.”
Those in need of the services of an exorcist can always contact their diocese and request information about when and how to contact them. However, the USCCB strongly recommends that “the identity of the exorcist be kept secret or at most known only to the other priests of the diocese so as not to overwhelm the exorcist with random calls and inquiries.”
The Church is being made to walk a fine line between answering the call to inform the faithful about the workings of Satan, and protecting the ministry designed to do so.
In the meantime, let us keep Father Ripperger – and all of our courageous exorcists – in our prayers.
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